A Child's Innocence Untold by Time
by SpeakTheTruth16
Summary: Originally written for a school project on the book The Crucible, many of my friends have asked me to post it so here it is. I suck at writing this summary
I see you there, yes you reading this right now. Oh come now I do not bite, I couldn't even if I tried. I want to tell you a story. Goodness no, this is not a fairytale, if it was I would… well read on and see.

The night had started out normally, conversations of our day, a dinner prayer, eat dinner, after dinner prayer, an excerpt from the bible then off to bed. Just like any other Sunday night. But how wrong I was.

"Dana! Dennis!" I heard my uncle's muffled yell. I rubbed the sleep from eyes only to see that it was still dark out, for there was no moon nor sun. I found it odd, Uncle would usually wake us at dawn's break. I shuffled out of bed and met my brother in the hall. His face looked as white as a freshly cleaned linen sheet. I gave him a puzzled look but he didn't seem to notice.

"Dennis, Dana come to the kitchen." Uncle's voice called to us from the ladder hole. "Now." Uncle's voice wavered, his voice never wavers. I could feel that something was wrong, very wrong. Dennis went down first as I followed.

When we entered the kitchen we, well I, saw some of the men from church, including Mr. Cheever, crowding Uncle who was backed up into one of the far corners of the room near the door. Dennis held me close to his side as the adults turned their attention to us. Mr. Cheever got this wicked grin on his lips and his eyes glinted with hunger. "Children" he said warmly but there was nothing but frost in the room. The hair on the back of my neck pricked up as he continued, "What do have to say in defense of your Uncle?"

"On what charges, Mr. Cheever?" Dennis asked politely with a hint of a sneer. The grin on Mr. Cheever's face became wider with his answer, "Wizardry." My eyes widened a fraction before becoming slits of doubt. "Uncle is no such being, Mr. Cheever." Dennis said calmly but venom laced his voice, "And I be takin' that fact to my grave." I nodded in agreement as my mouth twisted with disgust at the thought.

Mr. Cheever's grin fell, "That is not what Ann Putnam said." My face went slack, Little Ann Putnam was a sweet little girl why would she accuse Uncle of such a horrid crime? I thought to myself as I covered my mouth in shock. "She lies sir." Dennis spit in fury, I nearly jumped at his tone. A voice sounded from the door, which in fact did startle me. "Never you mind, there be plenty evidence against him." I turned and there stood the Marshal, Mr. Herrick, pleading halfheartedly from the doorway, I found it odd that I hadn't noticed him until he had spoke. "Take him." Herrick added holding the door open walking outside. I glared for a moment, then I saw the chains and my eyes glazed over with unshed tears. _Was it really necessary to chain him?_

I looked on in horror as the men bound my Uncle's hands behind his back and was shoved toward the door. He looked at my brother and I for a moment, "It's okay, they will see reason." He gave a small broken grin and the light in his eyes was dimmed. I think he knew that it was a hopeless prayer.

"Silence." One man shouted hitting Uncle over the head, he groaned and spat on the floor. Dennis couldn't watch anymore, "Leave him alone, he's never done any harm to anyone!" He snarled and screamed moving in front of me and following the men outside. I bit my lip with worry and followed, what I saw I wish I could remove from my mind, my Uncle being put into chains of iron.

I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out. Mr. Cheever unfortunately noticed, "Dana Zeal, speak child." the hungry glint in his eyes was back and my thoughts died. I believe that I had stood there gaping. "She be mute." Dennis said with his voice as tense as a drawn bowstring, I could tell he was restraining himself from all out attacking Mr. Cheever. "Lies, I saw her praying just this morning." Mr. Cheever sneered in Dennis' face, "Know your place boy."

Dennis moved in front of me, I could no longer see what was happening but I didn't want to, I could hear the voices. "I know my place, Mr. Cheever. It is you who knows not your own." Dennis snarled with ferocity, clenching his hands into fists. "A boy barely of age has few places, an' talkin' back to one's elders is not one of them, boy." One of the men growled. I tensed in trepidation at the words.

"Dennis take care of your sister, I'll be okay I promise." I heard my Uncle's voice quaking with emotion. Tears sprang in my eyes when it had finally sunk in that he was only trying to calm Dennis to avoid anymore conflict. I hugged Dennis to keep him still as Mr. Cheever and the rest of the men carted off Uncle Malik to the courthouse. My tears stained Dennis' nightshirt as he screamed in defeat at the sky.

We slept no more that night and embraced in the company of each other's warmth on the floor of the kitchen. Dawn took her sweet time of arriving as preparing the horizon for her beauty for without moon it was apparently troublesome. When the light that she radiated shone through the windows I saw, for the first time in my life, my brother with puffy red eyes from crying. The tear streaks were still wet from what I could tell.

"Get dressed, we need to help Malik." He said with shuddering breaths. I nodded and climbed the ladder to my room to change into my second best. I will spare you the details of my garb as it is not important.

We walked to the courthouse solemnly, cheers and shouts could be heard from the street. I gasped in a deep breath as Dennis guided us inside. Mr. Herrick met us with shock veiling his stress filled eyes. "We're here for Malik Heimer's trial." Dennis said calmly though he held my hand with a grip that could break stone. "Of course." Herrick said as he opened the court doors revealing Uncle who sat in front of the room still in chains, he was the only one there from what I could see. We ran to him, he smiled brokenly, I hated that smile. He never had a broken smile for anything.

"Uncle we're here for your defense." Dennis said with a strained smile and a nervous glint in his eyes. "I don't see how they plan to incarcerate me." Uncle said confused, I watched sadly as his body slumped forward whether it was from stress or from exhaustion I do not know. The room steadily filled as we sat near Uncle. The judge sneered in our direction I remember thinking that he was biased. I barely paid attention to the formalities until my Uncle was called to testify. It's been so long that I can't remember the questions but Uncle's responses were shouted and always no. The judge seemed aggravated about something or another and asked what the evidence was of Uncle's wizardry. The man who questioned Uncle had a quite awful grin. "His niece is evidence, your honor." he hissed through his teeth.

Then I was put on the stand and they asked my name, I kept my mouth closed. They asked again I opened my mouth and a sound I can only describe as deathly escaped, it said, "Dana Zeal." Ann suddenly screamed, I looked toward her with widened eyes. _What is going on?_ I thought as Ann rammed herself into one of the walls.

"Dana please stop." Ann pleaded at me, my eyes widened at her words, she was demonizing me and I was helpless to do anything in my defense, I could only watch on as Ann threw herself at the wall over and over, again and again. Abigail began to scream and claw at her throat, "Dennis, no." _No_ I thought, _no this could not be happening, these girls are lying through their teeth._ I thought back to what we could've done to them to deserve this. I could not find a thing other than the fact that Ann was afraid of doctors. I was grabbed by my hair and screamed at to 'call off my spirit.' Dennis was pinned to the floor I could faintly hear the same request being asked of him.

"The whole family be caught in the Devil's snare your honor." a spectator yelled in desperation. At the words I froze, time slowed as my small family looked at each other in desperation, Dennis to I, I to Uncle, and Uncle to Dennis. We could see it in each other's eyes we knew, our fate had been sealed by the court of public opinion. Judge Hathorne banged his gavel, "I will have silence!" he screamed. The court quieted down slowly, Abigail and Ann were held tightly as prayers were whispered to them. Hathorne looked around the Court once more, "I find Malik Heimer guilty of witchcraft, I find Dennis Zeal guilty of witchcraft, and I find Dana Zeal guilty of witchcraft. They will be hanged on the morrow."

I allowed myself to be dragged away, I was numb, I could hear nothing. I felt that my face had been smacked I looked at my captor, he growled, "Walk." I obeyed seeing Dennis in front of me looking at me worriedly. I could tell that an insult was burning on the tip of his tongue yet he stayed quiet.

We were led to a cell under the courthouse and Dennis finally began to scream. Profanities, curses of all sorts, damning the men to hell for believing such a trite. One of the men left and came back with a needle and spindle of thread. We were held down one at a time as the men sewed our lips shut in that cell, I can still feel the warmed metal prick and slide through the flesh of my lips guiding the thread laced with holy water. I had screamed the loudest from the pain and they men shouted their prayers till I was finally silenced save for only pained whimpers.

When the men were satisfied with our silence they left us. We looked at each other seeing the blood flow steadily down our chins only to drip onto the cold dirt floor. Tear streaks were more evident than ever as Dennis tried to comfort me. Uncle sat up straight despite it all, I think that he was trying not to show fear. Though it didn't matter, I knew that we were going to die, the light in Uncle's eyes was gone so I knew that he knew it as well. Thinking back I should have been crying my eyes out but no I had accepted my fate. Ann Putnam could go rot in hell's inferno for all I care, she lied in the face of God.

Oh dear, I had smiled at the thought of that little girl in hell, but it felt nice. Knowing that she would be punished for what she had done, dare I say it felt delicious. We fell asleep leaning against each other taking what little comfort we could after being basked in the cold silence.

The men came back a many hours later, I awoke to them clanging the bars with a branch from a tree. With caution they opened the cell's door and I watched as they tied Uncle in ropes then Dennis and finally me. We were lead outside to three rope nooses on a branch. I looked around for Ann, I saw her smiling wickedly with pride and I told myself that God will handle her. A sack was pulled over my head before I felt my rope slip around my throat. I shed one last tear as I felt myself fall and the rope tighten against my throat. There is no more to tell.

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